'Hollyoaks' announces shock fire plot

Bonfire Night will turn into a night of terror on Hollyoaks this November when a huge fire starts at Il Gnosh, before dramatically raging through the village.

The shock blaze at Tony Hutchinson's restaurant begins in mysterious circumstances and soon spreads to the upstairs flat and neighbouring buildings.

As the flames continue in their path of destruction, they threaten the lives of some much-loved characters - leaving viewers to wonder who will survive and who will perish.

Show bosses have confirmed that the storyline will see a number of characters bow out from the programme. However, exact details of who will lose their lives are being kept closely under wraps.

The dramatic turn of events begins on screen on Friday, November 5 - Guy Fawkes Night - before continuing in a special block of episodes airing across the following week.

Throughout the first four episodes airing from Monday, November 8, viewers will see various characters finding themselves in peril because of the fire. The last episode of the week - airing on Friday, November 12 - will follow the final stages of the blaze, while the surviving residents suffer an agonising wait to see who makes it out alive.

In a further twist, as the survivors mourn the dead in the aftermath of the fire, the police arrive with some disturbing news - the blaze was no accident and an arsonist is on the loose. The revelation marks the beginning of a shock whodunit investigation.

Speaking of the storyline, Hollyoaks' series producer Paul Marquess commented: "We're remaining very tight-lipped on which characters will survive the fire, but all I will say is that it will be shocking. The sets have been prepped to go up in flames and the cast and crew are excited to film these explosive scenes."